Edmonton police officers discover their 22-year-old teddy-bear bond

EDMONTON -

An Edmonton police constable has been searching for a fellow officer who left a lasting impression on him as a young child while at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in 1999.

Const. Ash Lougheed told CTV News Edmonton he can recall being in a lot of pain when an officer sat down beside him. After some time had passed, the officer left but eventually returned with a teddy bear to help console the nine-year-old.

“Having an officer come and bring me a teddy bear as a young kid was very exciting for me and it’s something I’ve never forgotten,” Lougheed said.

After nearly a decade as an officer, Lougheed told CTV News, the encounter helped guide his career in law enforcement.

“I was always a police officer for Halloween,” Lougheed explained. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and that interaction with that officer kind of shaped my future a little bit.”

Since joining the ranks, Lougheed said he’s been searching for the officer who graciously comforted him all those years ago.

“When I came on the job it was on my mind,” he said.

“I just kind of knew that it would probably never happen that I would find out who this officer was, or if they were even still on the job.”

'I COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT HE STILL HAD THE LETTERS'

Skip ahead almost two decades later and the thank you letter Lougheed wrote to the Edmonton Police Service resurfaced.

While getting ready for a move, Const. Tim Ryan was going through some old papers and to his surprise he came across a letter with a teddy bear on it.

“I saw the name and thought, ‘No way.’"

Ryan then contacted Lougheed and asked if his uncle used to be a former member of city council. Once they made the connection the rest was history.

“I wouldn't think in a million years I'd find the person I gave that teddy bear to,” Ryan said.

“It was a surreal moment to find this and to realize I found this person or they found me after all this time.”

“I couldn’t believe that he still had the letters to be honest,” Lougheed laughed,

“It was pretty exciting that it was someone I knew and someone that I was friends with.”

'IT WILL STAY WITH ME FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE'

Lougheed told CTV News, Ryan is someone he went to CrossFit class with, someone who taught him in recruit class. Little did they know their bond was already 22 years in the making.

“Now I don’t have to keep searching,” Lougheed smiled.

“I’m nearing the end of my career,” Ryan added. ”I think once I leave, it will stay with me for the rest of my life.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Ryan Harding